One of the fastest growing markets for providing wireless services is known as “telematics” and entails delivering a wide spectrum of information via wireless links to vehicle-based subscribers. Prior art telematics devices can have a separate cellular phone portion that is detachable from the in-car portion. Also, prior art car kits, whether they are OEM or after-market, are designed to interface with a phone portion. These phone portions are designed to interface specifically with the in-car portion or the car kit, where standard cellular phones do not have the necessary capabilities to interface with the in-car portion or the car kit. In other words, these special “telematics” phones come pre-packaged with software and hardware such that they interface with a specific vehicle or car kit, where standard cellular phones do not. These prior art telematics devices have the disadvantage that newer cellular phones (absent specific software and hardware targeted toward a specific in-car portion or car kit) are not compatible with the in-car portion or the car kit. Therefore, the new cellular phones are not capable of interfacing with the in-car portion or the car kit to perform telematics related functions.
Accordingly, there is a significant need for a method and apparatus that overcomes the deficiencies of the prior art outlined above.
It will be appreciated that for simplicity and clarity of illustration, elements shown in the drawing have not necessarily been drawn to scale. For example, the dimensions of some of the elements are exaggerated relative to each other. Further, where considered appropriate, reference numerals have been repeated among the Figures to indicate corresponding elements.